AMAWATERWAYS WINS FOUR 2012 GOLD MAGELLAN AWARDS

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Travel Weekly Selects AmaWaterways and Three Ships as the Best of the Best in the Industry

CHATSWORTH, CA - (Sep. 13, 2012) - Travel Weekly, the national newspaper of the travel industry, has awarded AmaWaterways four 2012 Gold Magellan Awards for its European ships and overall river cruising experience. The annual awards honor the best in travel as determined by a panel of highly accomplished travel industry experts.

AmaWaterways received a Gold Award in the “River Cruising” category. In addition, its AmaCerto, AmaLotus and AmaVerde ships each received Gold Awards in the “River Cruise Ship” category.

“These Gold Awards reflect the dedication and hard work of every member of our AmaWaterways family,” said Rudi Schreiner, AmaWaterways president and founder. “It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as an innovative travel industry leader by such an elite Travel Weekly panel.”

Judges for the Magellan Awards were Bob Dickinson, former president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines; Peter Greenberg, CBS News’ travel editor; Patricia Schultz, author of “1,000 Places to See Before You Die;” Johnny Jet, travel blogger; Rudy Max, award-winning PBS & radio travel host; Dr. Lalia Rach, Divisional Dean at the Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism & Sports Management at NYU; and Burt Wolf, internationally syndicated television journalist.

Honoring a broad range of industry segments including Hotels and Resorts, Travel Destinations, Cruise Lines, Online Travel Services, Airlines, and Travel Agents, the Magellan Awards are considered the “Oscars” of the travel industry. A full list of winners is available at http://travelweeklyawards.com/winners/.

Founded in 2002 by Rudi Schreiner, Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy, AmaWaterways is the premier river cruise line on Europe’s Danube, Rhine, Main, Mosel and Rhône rivers. The company is known for its innovative ship designs, which offer glass elevators, al fresco dining venues and an ingenious use of interior space. In the spring of 2012, AmaWaterways introduced the new 164-passenger AmaCerto in Europe, designed with Twin Balconies in most staterooms, multiple dining venues, complimentary in-room movies, Internet and Wi-Fi, a heated swimming pool on the Sun Deck, plus many more state-of-the-art elements. Like its sister ship, the AmaVerde, it is a member of the prestigious Chaîne des Rôtisseurs culinary guild and receives rave reviews for its delicious five-star cuisine.

The AmaLotus joined the AmaWaterways fleet in 2011 and provides deluxe river cruises on the Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam. With a décor designed to evoke Colonial-era elegance, the ship showcases its exotic setting with locally sourced artwork and other regional Khmer accents. Spacious staterooms include comfortable sitting areas, individually controlled air-conditioning, and outside balconies in nearly every stateroom.

To download AmaWaterways’ 2012 and 2013 brochures and for more information, please visit www.amawaterways.com. To make a reservation, please contact a travel professional or visit www.amawaterways.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.